Tomorrow, you'll be going to the polls. For so many Kiwis, it seems like it's a choice between the lesser of two evils - Alliance or National. While the Alliance, you know, one of the parties in the Alliance is the Country Party, it feels like for so many people that they're always making way for Auckland and Wellington.

Did you know that the former leader of the Country Party is now a Pirate? gavingrotegut was the Country Party MP for Aoraki last term, but he's jumped ship to the Pirates. I'm very glad to have them with us, and I think it just shows - if the Alliance's leaders prefer the Pirates, what does that say about their party?

Meanwhile, with National, will they be any better? It doesn't seem like they have any regional policies - heck, they haven't even revealed a manifesto. The Pirate Party is the only party running so far that's actually revealed our manifesto - we did it on day 1, this is just basic stuff. As political parties, if we want your votre, then you should know what we plan to do. So I'd like to tell you more about what we will do for New Zealand's regions if elected.

New Zealand currently suffers from a serious amount of discrimination that it seems to me that no-one is addressing It is comparable to the horrors of South African apartheid, except potentially worse, as it does not discriminate based on race. When it comes to new technology and speeds of internet, it is never regional New Zealand that goes first. We are forced to deal with sub-standard technology, while the big cities get access to state-of-the art stuff first.

Thousands of Kiwis have to deal with mobile connections worse than third-world nations. While 5G is being rolled out in Auckland, dozens of regional towns barely have 3G! It is discrimination, it is unacceptable, and it must end. Time and time again, regional towns are forced to wait to be brought into the 21st century.

This is why the Pirate Party is committed to ending regional blackspots by 2030. No matter your location, you will have access to the broadband that you deserve. I don't think this will be easy, but it's something we must work towards. Regional New Zealand deserves better than inaction, and I'd rather try and fail than not bother at all.

The Pirate Party is the only party running in this election that has the policy and the will to end this serious issue. If you give us your vote, we will work hard on ensuring that kids born in regional communities have exactly the same opportunities as kids born in the cities. People shouldn't suffer because of where they live - that is something that I believe in strongly. All Kiwis deserve a fair go, and that means that all Kiwis deserve access to the internet.

If we do not act, then we will continue to see regional New Zealand fall behind the cities. We'll see accelerated brain drain, as the internet becomes more and more essential to modern life. We must not let our regional and rural areas suffer, and maybe even die. We need fixes, and we need them now. Thank you.